Aseret Kitsune – You are one of the best reviewers out there :) I'm glad you like my story and I hope you're ready for the final chapter. This one will be a bit more emotional but I hope you like it. Hey this will be a record, one of the few stories I've finished within a year's time! (giggles)

"Guardian Ghost"

By: Beloved Shadow

If there was a time Danny Phantom wished he could stop time it was now. He was getting very tired and running on the last of his energy that more than once he shifted back to his human form. He refused to give in though; the hospital was still a few blocks away and it was so close to midnight.

"Almost there-" rings of energy moved up/down his body, his hair turning back to black and eyes went from green to blue, "Not again!" He concentrated but all his powers were temporarily gone and he landed in a dumpster. Not the most pleasant place to land but it sure beat kissing the pavement.

Wearily Danny pulled himself out, wrinkling his nose at the stench but he didn't have time to wash up or even spray himself down with a hose. Looking at the thermos in his hand he ran down the street as fast as he could. However, within the thermos was a whole other battle.

Ryan smirked as he held Maxine by the throat. Since being pulled into the thermos the two had been fighting, looking for a chance to escape first once the item was opened. The young lady was refusing to be left behind and pulled out all the stops. She was never a fighter and truth be told she did fight like a girl, but she also had long nails and used them to scratch and actually bit her ex-boyfriend in the hand so hard the imprint of her teeth was left in his skin. She hand both her hands wrapped around his wrist, trying to get him to let go.

"You think you're so much better," Ryan laughed. "Truth is you're no better than me."

She gasped as his grip tightened. "W-What are you talking about?" she asked, feeling her grip start to slip.

"The real reason parents send their kids to military camp is they never wanted them. You're lucky if you leave but that'll never happen. Kids grow up there and stay there, join the army, and live out their lives like some mindless soldier. Obey orders without question and sacrifice your life for people who'll forget your name the next day. But you and me, we're different. I ruled that place, pulled the control right under from those soldiers noses, I did plan on leaving but that place would belong to me. Then you and your bro came in. I admit, I was worried that he would ruin everything but you were the one I wanted." He pulled her close but still kept a tight grip on her throat.

"I was once like you. Stupid, believed there was some good in people, naïve, innocent. But I saw a lot of potential in you. You knew who was the top dog and you submitted. You also betrayed the only person who gave a damn whether you loved or died." He smirked, watching as she gasped for breathe. "You and I would have ruled that place. You would have been the perfect second-in-command."

Maxine knew he was stating the truth; they weren't all that different but why wasn't he trying to kill her (so to speak). It hurt to breathe but still she wanted to go back and be with her friends. "What… do you… want?"

"For you to join me. We may be dead, but people still fear ghosts and as such no one can stop us. What do you say? Be my second-in-command?"

Second-in-command…

Ghost…

Maxine let the thoughts run in her mind but she couldn't. Growling she grabbed Ryan's pinkie fingers, pull them so far back she broke them. She didn't give him anytime to scream in pain as she once again rammed her knee into his crotch then into his chin, sending him flying back. With a cry of rage she pounced on him, her nails making deep gashes in his face as she attacked him.

"I will never join you even in death!" she yelled, slashing at him between words. "You are the biggest mistake I made in my life! You feared Tommy because he stood for everything you wished you were!" She cried out when an unexpected fist struck her but she slowly regained her balance.

"Why would I want to be like that pathetic loser!" he snarled, fists forming into massive fireballs.

"Because he was smart, nice, funny, popular, and an overall great guy! He also knew how to treat others with respect and had their respect in turn! You were jealous 'cuz you saw him as a threat to take over what you had!"

"Shut up!"

"Admit it! You're the loser not him!"

"I said shut up!" The fires were hurled but as they surrounded the girl they began to fizzle out. A kind of mist seemed to appear and surrounded him. Despite how big the fires grew he couldn't keep it up. The mist kept dampening them out it was only then did he realize how moist the atmosphere was getting. "What the hell is going on!" he asked angrily.

Maxine wasn't sure but she felt tears slowly course down her cheeks. She watched as her tears seemed to create a mist around them. She wanted to question it and figure out why it was happening but right now just seemed like the only thing that could stop Ryan. "Hey Ryan, you were right about one thing. I was naïve but it wasn't Tommy you should have been worried about. It was me!"

The young man could only watch as his fire were extinguished that he watched in disbelief as the fire died out but his arm looked like a blacken-charred mass. The mist smothered him, putting out his angry flames permanently.

--

Officer Donaldson had been on the force for over 40 years and he had thought that child abuse in the small town would never occur but it didn't mean he hadn't encountered it before. He took down the doctor's reports, gather stories from witnesses who were here during time of the argument, interviewed the girls' friends as well but no one could locate the older brother.

"It's alright but if you see him, tell him to please stop by. I can only have the parents arrested for disturbing the peace but I will need his statement," he explained as he tucked his notepad in his pocket.

The doctor nodded and shook his hand. "Thank you I just wish the girl had survived-" Both were nearly bowed over as a teenage boy ran into the hospital, his appearance disheveled and carrying a fancy looking thermos. Without so much as an 'excuse me' he ran down the hall.

"Young man wait!" The doctor took off after the boy and the officer followed.

Sam and Tucker looked at the sheet hiding their new friend from sight. They had only known her for such a short time and she was dead… Tommy was no where to be seen but they knew he had to be suffering the most. They both jumped when the door was slammed open and their missing friend literally raced in.

"Danny-"

"Get back!" Bringing his thermos forward he opened the cap. Nothing happened but slowly a mist seeped out of the thermos. The air felt incredible moist and damp but something seemed to just, plop out. A charred mess of a human being hit the ground first, his skin a charred mess but still it moved, panting for air and moaning in pain. It was soon followed by another form but without waiting for anything fell into the body on the bed. The moisture faded and Danny merely pointed the thermos at the blacken figure.

"Hope you learned your lesson Ryan," was all he said as he sucked him back inside and shut the cap tightly. That when his knees finally decided to give in and he hit the floor, panting for air. "I need… to lie… down… for a… minute…" he panted into the stillness of the room. The doctor and officer ran into the room, about to ask what was going on but everyone froze when the person on the bed sat up and removed the sheet from her head. She opened her sightless eyes and smiled weakly as slowly, two tears fell and rolled down her cheeks.

"Danny… thank you…" she said softly.

Down on the floor the blue-eyed boy smiled yet continued to lie there, utterly exhausted.

--

Time seemed to pass by relatively fast for the group. Maxine began a slow if somewhat painful process of healing but she also saw a psychologist who would testify to the mental abuse she sustained from her parents. In court the parents' claims that their eldest child and only son had confronted them at the hospital just made the jury and judge think they had lost their minds. Their lawyer had tried repeatedly tried to get them to file for an insanity plea but Matthew began to beat him up in the middle of the trial. That was enough to send both of them to be relieved of their duties in the army and sent to serve their time in a maximum security prison/mental hospital for abusing their children. No one ever found out who was the maniac driver in the sports car but everyone assumed he had died in the car accident that had taken the girl's life.

The long lost aunt was finally located in the remote forest of Brazil where she had been helping villagers as a doctor but she made arrangements to come as soon as she could. Until she could come she entrusted her niece's care to her friends who had risked their lives to save hers.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam did their best to help their friend but it was still so hard. It took a good 4 months for all her bones to have healed properly but the doctors still wanted her to be careful and kept her at the hospital until they were certain she would be fine. Everyday they came though, bringing her school work and helped her during physical therapy. A year since that day she had died pass and the group were moving into the next year of high school and Aunt Estella finally came home. Danny's parents, who had gotten to know the young blind girl, let her aunt stay with them for the time being and together they offered even more support. Maxine had never felt so much love and warmth, especially from total strangers but she didn't see them as strangers. She saw them as her as family.

Tommy also offered his help but after hours. He had come close once when the Fentons saw him as a ghost and nearly took him out with their guns. He was a bit nervous but since he couldn't and didn't dare risk being seen during visiting hours, he stayed with his sister afterwards.

Several months passed and Maxine was finally released. Her aunt had rented an apartment to spend the rest of her school years here with her friends and took up a job at a clinic just a few blocks away. The group was more than happy to help their friend move in. Maxine's bones had healed but the damage had been so sever she had crutches made to help her manage her balance. She could stand but moving proven almost impossible without support. She didn't mind though and struggled, managing to overcome every obstacle. She had grown stronger whether she realized it or now and she was allowed to return to school.

The trio included the blind girl in everything from movies to games to concerts to going to the water park. Sure she was still blind and her movements were limited but they treated her as an equal. Other students in school still were unsure of what to make of the student but Maxine didn't care. Tommy knew he couldn't watch his sister forever but he continued to watch over her and even helped Danny with some ghost problems. He was enjoying every moment he had left.

"Seriously, I do not want to get on Tommy's bad side!" Danny told his friends about the latest ghost adventure. "Skulker actually asked me to please send him back to the Ghost Zone!"

Everyone laughed as they walked down the halls. "Looks like you might be outta the hero business soon enough," Sam teased.

"Hey he's welcome to it! Least I have more time to study."

"Speaking of studying, the school dance is coming up soon. You gonna ask Pauline again?" Tucker asked.

"Are you kidding me? After what happened last time I'm not taking any chances."

"You already asked her?" Maxine asked.

"… Yeah but I don't care."

Sam raised a blow brow. "Really?"

"Yeah. She's still fawning over my ghost side but how can she not notice the similarities between us? Besides I'm tired of always getting turned down."

Sam secretly smiled to herself.

The rest of the day went smoothly and the group headed home. They decided to go to the apartment complex where Maxine and her aunt lived, taking the elevator but when she opened the door she was surprised at the sound of a bark meeting her ears. "Aunt 'Stella?" she called out.

Estella, or 'Stella as she lived to be called, came in from the kitchen. She was an attractive lady, tall and slender with light brown hair with dull blonde highlights and kind hazel eyes. She was mostly seen wearing jeans and t-shirt so today was no exception but she was leading a large dog by its harness. It was a blonde color with amber colored eyes and it sat at 'Stella's feet, looking at the group intently. "Hi guys!" she said happily.

"Um hi, you get a dog?" Danny asked.

"Not me, guys meet Trouble. He's a guide dog for Maxine."

"Me? But why do I need a guide dog?" she asked in disbelief.

"Because as much as I hate to say this, we have to move at the end of the week. Before you start I tried but the need doctors in London. I asked if I could go there at the end of the school year but they need me now. I'm sorry Maxy…"

"But aunt 'Stella, I can't leave!"

Sam touched her shoulder and looked at the older woman. "Can you excuse us for a moment?"

"Sure thing. Trouble, stay." Patting the dog on the head she walked into the bedrooms in the back. The four friends slowly sat on the sofas and the dog watched them silently.

"Maxine, I don't want you to go either but your aunt is needed."

"I don't want to go, you guys have been there for me for everything!" She sniffed, rubbing her eyes before she could start crying. She froze when she felt a weight lay on her knee. Trouble looked up at her with sad amber gold eyes, wincing softly.

"We don't want you to go but you won't be alone," Danny said softly.

"We can still chat online and you won't be gone forever. You can still visit or we can visit!" Tucker added with a happy spin.

She said nothing but slowly reached down and scratched the dog's ears. After a bit she smiled, leaning over and hugged the dog tightly. "I'll never really be alone…"

"Better believe it."

Heading out to walk Trouble they realized that his build was perfect for he helped support most of the girl's weight when she walked and easily kept his strides in match with hers. He was clam, observant, and always stayed close to the girl. It wasn't long before he fitted in perfectly with the group. The same thing was the dance would be the following week so Maxine wouldn't be here but she made them promise to write down every detail for her to remember. They promised.

The next day at school it was strange with the cripple girl leading a potentially dangerous dog around the school grounds but the principal allowed it. Trouble was no trouble but he did come close to attacking Dash, the football star, when he approached the group and tried to make a move. He had tried to have the dog removed but was given detention instead for angering the dog. He was merely doing his duty to protect his young master.

Friday came and it was time to move. A large moving fan came and took the furniture and boxes. Danny, Sam, and Tucker came and inviting them over to the Fentons' home where the two were thrown a farewell party, complete with party hats and cake. Even Trouble got a hat though he didn't seem to like it too much. The four youths were sitting on the roof of the house, talking and enjoying themselves.

Maxine sighed as she petted Trouble's head. "Tommy came to say good-bye last night…" she told them softly. "He said that he couldn't stay any longer but that he knows I'll be fine. He said he can finally rest in peace now."

"Does that mean he's not a ghost anymore?" Danny asked.

"I don't know… but I know that he's happy too." She smiled sadly. "He's been looking out for me for so long, he's entitled to a well-deserved rest."

"You miss him," Sam stated. Maxine nodded.

"I'll always miss him and love him, but it's time I stand on my own. I'll make mistakes but I'll learn from them too."

"He was a great guy. Maybe we'll see him one day," Tucker sighed.

"I'll bet on it," Danny said looking at the night sky.

"The End"

Author's Notes: And so my story comes to a close. It was fun writing this and though this ending may not be too long or exciting as the others, I decided to add some emotional sense into it. Trouble is in fact based off a pit-bull my uncle owns. He is a very sweet-natured dog and as of late has been feeling very depressed. He's a great animal and I love him dearly. Again I'm glad this fic is over. It was fun and I had even thought of doing a sequel but I do have an idea in mind. We'll see how that goes. Yes I am working on my other fics it's just kinda hard right now.

I would like to say a very big thanks to Aseret Kitsune for being there for me every step of the way. You are a great person and thanks for pushing me along. It's people like you that makes me keep writing and posting. There are some ignorant assholes out there but if just one person likes what I write it makes it that much more bearable. So thanks again, you are one of the best hugs